Life Without You Is No life At All
by theriversongwho
Summary: Post 3x08. Basically Stiles is trying to get Derek's version of the Paige story but he mysteriously falls ill. Derek figures out who is behind Stiles' near-death experience. Does Deucalion really want Derek in his pack that badly? And why would he choose to get to Derek by hurting Stiles rather than one of his family members? Eventual Sterek.
1. Chapter 1

The plan was that Scott and Stiles would each go their separate ways and find out as much as they could about Deucalion and the Darach. They would meet up afterwards and discuss their findings. That was before Stiles found out about Derek's past.

Now, he couldn't bring himself to text Scott. It felt wrong to reveal Derek's past to him. Stiles felt as though that was his secret to keep. It wasn't like this had anything to do with the killings, or so he told himself.

He wanted to confront Derek about his past but knew that was not the way to do things. He had to get Derek to open up; confrontation would only make Derek hostile. He had to be smart about getting the information. He hated to admit it, but at this point, he wanted to get Derek's side of this story more for his sake than anyone else's.

"What is wrong with you, Stiles?" he whispered to himself.

It was bad enough that Derek's story had brought him close to tears, but now he was trying to get closer to Derek for no other purpose than to satisfy his own needs. He'd developed a soft spot for Derek, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

"Now you're talking to yourself. That's great. Like we need any more crazy people on our side," Peter scoffed, brushing past Stiles.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not a homicidal werewolf," Stiles spit back, feeling annoyed. This whole situation was frustrating.

"You forgot _good looking _homicidal werewolf," Peter responded, looking pleased with himself.

Stiles rolled his eyes. He was not in the mood for this narcissistic asshole.

"Whatever. Do you know when Derek will be back?"

"No. Do I look like his babysitter to you?" Peter seemed hell-bent on pissing Stiles off.

"Ugh," Stiles stomped off, feeling extremely aggravated.

"It's not my fault you're still a virgin. No need to snap at me. God, someone desperately needs to get laid," Peter called out smugly.

"Fuck you," Stiles mumbled.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Peter managed to say before Stiles slammed the door.

Stiles, I found out about Deucalion. –Scott

Dude, I have a lot to tell you. –Scott

Is your phone dead or something? –Scott

Stiles, are you getting my messages? –Scott

Why aren't you answering my calls or texts? –Scott

I called your dad. I think I worried him. I'm worried too. Answer and let me know that you're okay –Scott

Let me know when you can meet up with me so I can tell you everything. –Scott

Stiles felt bad for ignoring Scott, but it wasn't like Scott never did that to him. In fact, it happened fairly often. He was in no mood to talk to anyone except Derek. He couldn't do that until he'd devised a way to get the information he needed, so that was out of the question. This day was such an emotional roller coaster. Maybe if he just went to sleep, he would be able to think more clearly tomorrow morning.

Officer Stilinski looked up when saw the hall light turn on.

"Stiles, that you?" he called out, his voice slurred.

Stiles turned at the sound of his father's voice. "You're drunk."

Officer Stilinski shook his head but it made him queasy.

"I thought you said you wouldn't drink anymore." Stiles walked over to the table and snatched the drink away.

"It was just a few drinks," Officer Stilinski claimed, holding his hands up in resignation.

"That's what you said after Mom died and you turned into an alcoholic!" Stiles stomped off, taking the drink with him. He decided to pour it down his bathroom sink.

"Stiles," Officer Stilinski called out, stumbling after his son.

"No, Dad. No more excuses," Stiles disposed of the alcohol and turned to face his Dad. "How do you think Mom would feel about you drinking?"

Officer Stilinski looked ashamed. "She never liked it when I had a drink."

"Exactly, and neither do I, yet you continue to do it," Stiles walked away, going to his room. Could this day get any worse?

"Stiles, son, please, open the door." Officer Stilinski sounded less drunk but his words were still slightly slurred.

Stiles opened the door, but he didn't look happy. "Dad, please. It's been a hard day."

Officer Stilinski let himself in and sat on Stiles' bed, patting it. "Come here. Let's talk."

Stiles obliged, keeping a slight distance between his father and himself.

"I know you don't want excuses, but let me tell you why I got drunk."

"Dad-" Stiles began, but his father was having none of it.

"Stiles, you're not the only one that's been having a bad day. Please, just let me explain," Officer Stilinski sighed, rubbing his temple.

Stiles nodded, indicating that he was willing to listen.

"There's been a lot of murders and it's on me to find the killer and keep everyone protected. I haven't been home much, I'm tired, and I'm scared that I'll be so busy protecting everyone else and you'll end up getting hurt. Scott told me that you weren't answering your phone and no one knew where you were. I immediately jumped to conclusions and thought the worst. What if something happened to you? I've already lost your mother, I can't lose you too." Officer Stilinski stopped and turned to look at Stiles. "I know that I promised I wouldn't touch another drink, and I'm sorry for breaking that promise to you, but I wasn't thinking. The only thing on my mind was that I would have to go identify your body, and I knew I couldn't go through that again." At this point, Officer Stilinskis voice was barely audible. He looked as if he'd aged 10 years in the last ten minutes.

Stiles didn't say anything at first. He scooted closer to his dad and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry, Dad. I've been upset all day and took it out on you. I'm sorry for worrying you. I just needed to be alone." Stiles felt extremely guilty.

"It's okay, son. You don't know how happy I was when I saw that you were okay." Officer Stilinski patted Stiles' leg.

"While I'm here, is there anything you need to talk about?" As soon as that question left his lips, Officer Stilinski felt a wave of déjà vu, as if he'd asked this before.

_Would you still accept me if I told you I was in love with a man? Or would you reject me and never speak to me again? Is this just another stupid teenage thing that I'll get over? Am I really in love? _

Stiles nodded. His dad was drunk, so anything they talked about right now would be forgotten by tomorrow. It always was. He wasn't ready to say any of those things out loud yet, so instead, he turned to a sensitive topic- his mother.

"I miss Mom." It was all he could bring himself to say. There were no words to express neither his grief nor his guilt.

"I know. I miss her too." Officer Stilinski looked extremely sad.

Stiles began fiddling with the edge of his blanket. "Do you blame me for her death?" he whispered, a single tear running down his cheek.

He got no answer. He looked over and saw that his dad had fallen asleep. He would be out until the morning, which meant Stiles had some hours of privacy. He decided to take his parents' bed for the night.

Walking into the master bedroom, a sudden wave of grief hit him. He remembered walking in here and it smelling like his mom's perfume, seeing all her girl things scattered around. Now, all that remained was a single photograph of them three on Stiles' tenth birthday. It was his mom's favorite picture.

Stiles had enough of today. He walked over to his mom's side of the bed and collapsed, crying into the pillow out of habit. She was dead and it should have been him. How dare he cry over her when he was the one that killed her?

He didn't want to think anymore. He didn't want to feel. He just wanted to sleep.

The next day, Stiles was late for school. His joints felt stiff and he felt like he hadn't slept at all. He didn't know if it was safe to drive, but he didn't have much of a choice.

Once at school, he walked straight into English even though the period was half over.

"Dude, where have you been?" Scott whispered, leaning towards Stiles.

"I've been around," Stiles shrugged.

"I need to tell you something important," Scott leaned in closer. Stiles could feel Scott's hot breath against his ear.

"Scott, is there something you would like to announce to the class?" Ms. Blake asked, a fake smile on her face.

"Um, no. I was just catching Stiles up on the class so far," Scott lied, leaning back on his seat.

"How kind of you, Mr. McCall. As I was saying…" Ms. Blake went back to teaching the class.

Stiles was secretly glad that Ms. Blake had interrupted, even though he didn't like her at all. He wasn't in the mood to talk. His head hurt and he felt nauseous.

After class, Scott turned towards Stiles to tell him what he learned, but Stiles was up and out of the door in the blink of an eye.

"Stiles!" Scott called out, rushing out after his best friend.

Scott saw Stiles run into the restroom and waited patiently outside for him. When he finally came out, he looked terrible. His eyes looked red and puffy and he was breathing heavily.

"Are you okay, man?" Scott asked, placing an arm around Stiles.

"I'm fine," Stiles responded too quickly, his voice raspy.

"Dude, you should have stayed home today. You look terrible. Go to the nurse," Scott suggested.

"No, I have to talk to Cora first," Stiles responded, swaying slightly.

"Stiles, go home. You seriously don't look well. How did you even drive here?" Scott started guiding Stiles towards the front doors.

Stiles spotted Cora a few feet away. He pulled away fro Scott and forced himself to jog to catch up to her. He regretted the decision as soon as he stopped. He was afraid he would vomit, pass out, or both. He leaned against the wall, trying to push the nausea away.

"Cora," he grasped her arm, noticing for the first time that he was shaking.

"What do you want?" Cora asked.

"I need… to talk… to Derek," Stiles explained slowly, closing his eyes so the room would stop spinning.

Cora looked at him blankly. "So?"

Despite his current state, Stiles scoffed, opening his eyes. He couldn't believe his ears. Couldn't she see that this was serious? "So? What do you mean 'so'? You're his sister."

Cora raised an eyebrow. "You barely figured it out? Congratulations. No wonder people are dying all over the place," she muttered, turning away.

Stiles shook his head unbelievingly. "She is definitely a Hale," he muttered to himself as he made his way back to Scott.

A few minutes later, as Scott was helping Stiles to his Jeep, Stiles started puking. He'd pretty much thrown up everything his stomach still hadn't digested in the restroom, but he still felt nauseous.

Even after there was absolutely nothing left in his stomach, he continued to dry heave. His stomach was sore and he felt like he couldn't catch his breath. He slumped against Scott. Finally giving in to the darkness that had threatened to consume him since he woke up.

"Stiles awoke to feel a cool piece of cloth being pressed against his forehead.

his forehead.

"How's he doing?" Stiles heard a voice ask. It sounded muffled, as though he were wearing earmuffs.

"He's got a fever, but it's slowly going down," someone replied. The voice was familiar, but Stiles was too tired to try and figure it out.

"That explains why there's a teenager half naked on our table."

No one used that sarcastic tone except for Peter. Peter?! He was at Derek's loft. He was half-naked on Derek's table. He felt himself blush. Why in the world was he here?

"Do you think we should take him to the hospital?" he heard Scott ask. Scott. That's why he was here. Scott brought him here.

He didn't hear anything else. The silence made him nervous. He began to fidget.

"Stiles," he felt someone's breath against his ear. He yelped and tried to sit up. The movement made him dizzy.

"See? I told you. You have bad breath," Peter laughed, slapping Derek's back. Derek gwoled.

Derek looked at Stiles. It felt like Derek was seeing his most intimate thoughts. Stiles felt exposed. "Can I get a blanket or my clothes or something?" He meant to sound commanding, but his voice was weak.

Derek nodded and left the room.

"Dude, get me a trash can or something, I'm about to…" Stiles began dry heaving, turning his head away from Scott. He puked for what felt like hours. He was tired of puking. It was like the tenth time today.

"Shit," Stiles whispered, feeling guilty.

"It's all right man. You're sick. Derek will understand," Scott brought a water bottle and offered it to Stiles.

"Thanks," Stiles took a small sip, scared that he might not be able to keep it down. When he saw that it would be no problem, he took large gulps, eager to get rid of the gross taste in his mouth. His hands kept shaking and he was sweating profusely. _"What the hell is wrong with me?" he wondered._

"Do you know what's going on with Stiles?" Scott asked Derek quietly, making sure Stiles didn't hear them.

"He's sick," Derek whispered back.

"Obviously," Scott rolled his eyes. "Is it normal illness or something supernatural?"

"Everything seems to indicate a normal illness, nothing supernatural," Derek explained, looking over at Stiles.

Scott nodded, feeling better. At least the Darach hadn't gotten to Stiles.

"Is it safe for me to go back to class then?"

Derek shrugged. "I guess so. Am I supposed to take care of him until he gets better or something?"

Scott didn't bother responding. He knew he'd just done them both a favor, even though neither of the two would ever admit it.

Stiles groaned, holding his head in his hands. Ever since he tried to stand up, he felt as though his head were going to explode. If he hadn't vomited so much before, he was sure he would have vomited now. The pain was too much. Before he knew it, there were tears in his eyes and he couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"I think I'm dying. Oh my god, I'm going to die a freakin' virgin. I'm not even going to die in an epic werewolf battle, I'm probably gonna die of a brain tumor, just like my mom," he closed his eyes and waited for death to claim him. Instead, a warm hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Let me help," Derek pulled Stiles' hands away from his face and placed the palm of his hand against Stiles' forehead. He focused on a small crack on the wall and willed himself to absorb Stiles' pain.

Stiles quickly wiped away his tears. He felt better, but he didn't want to say anything. He watched Derek, took in all his facial features. It felt nice to have someone touch his face again. He hadn't had any of this since his mom died.

"How's that?" Derek asked, pretending not to notice Stiles' tears.

"Better," Stiles answered. "If only you could also take away emotional pain," Stiles mumbled to himself.

Derek raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Instead, he sat down in front of Stiles. He didn't say anything, he just quietly observed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Stiles demanded, feeling embarrassed. "Is there something on my face?"

Derek shook his head. He wasn't sure how to bring this up. It was such a sensitive topic, and he knew that if he said the wrong thing, it could seriously mess things up. Either way, he had to try. He wouldn't let Stiles do that to himself. He refused.

"I want to talk to you about your attempt," Derek spoke gently, maintaining eye contact.

"Derek, what in the world are you talking about?" Stiles felt confused. Maybe he was just hallucinating because of the fever.

"Your suicide attempt, Stiles. We need to talk about your suicide attempt," Derek said grimly.

Half an hour later, Stiles wouldn't even look at Derek. He would have been out of there as fast as he could, but the truth was, he couldn't even get up without puking his guts out. How dare Derek say something like that? Stiles would never try to take his own life, even though he had considered it after his mom's death. He would never actually do it though because he knew it would kill his father, and he'd already hurt his dad too many times before.

"Stiles, you're gonna have to talk to me sooner or later," Derek pointed out.

Stiles finally looked at him. "I didn't try to kill myself."

Derek sighed. "I understand this is hard to talk about, especially with me, but I caught the scent of depression on you. When I absorbed your pain, I realized that you'd almost overdosed. I'm not stupid, Stiles."

Stiles felt a rush of anger. "I did not try to overdose. Your stupid wolf senses are probably malfunctioning or something…"

Derek looked confused. "You're telling the truth."

Stiles nodded furiously. "Of course I have. It took you long enough to realize it."

"Sorry," Derek said, not really paying attention to what Stiles was saying.

"Don't ignore me, Derek Hale. I will take a bat, wrap it in wolfsbane, and shove it so far up your ass that it's going to come out through your mouth," Stiles crossed his arms and glared at Derek.

"Do you trust me?" Derek asked soddenly.

Stiles rolled his eyes. "What did I just say about ignoring me?"

"Stiles, listen to me, okay? This is serious. Do you trust me?" Derek listened to Stiles' heartbeat intently, making sure he didn't lie.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, yes, I do trust you," Stiles avoided making eye contact, instead looking around the room. "You need to fix your walls. There's cracks and dents all over the place."

Derek scoffed. Sometimes he wondered if Stiles just ran his mouth for the heck of it.

"Think hard, okay? Can you remember the past few days clearly? Is there any times that you can't remember or anything?"

Stiles frowned, thinking about it. For the most part, he could remember everything, except…. Except for the fact that he didn't remember falling asleep last night, and this morning when he woke up, he felt like he hadn't slept at all.

"Yesterday," Stiles scratched his head, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"What about yesterday?" Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't remember falling asleep and it feels like I didn't even sleep last night. Maybe I'm just too tired to remember though," Stiles closed his eyes, forcing the room to stop spinning.

Derek was silent. It might not be what he thought it was, but maybe he was right, and there was no harm in trying it if they did it right.

Stiles opened his eyes. He saw the determination on Derek's face and knew something was going on. In his father's words, he wasn't seeing the whole board, and he needed Derek to show him.

Derek grabbed Stiles' cloths from a nearby chair and tossed them to him. "Get dressed, we're going to Deaton."


	2. Chapter 2

Deaton was reluctant to let Derek in.

"We did this once before and you ignored my orders. Thankfully, Isaac was not harmed, but he is a werewolf, Stiles is human. What if you get carried away and it kills him?" Deaton lectured, standing his ground.

"I won't," Derek spoke through gritted teeth.

"Might I remind you that you said the exact same thing before?" Deaton just would not budge. Derek knew it was hopeless. He needed Scott here.

"Can I leave Stiles here while I go outside and make a call? He doesn't look too good," Derek had his arm around Stiles to support him. He made sure Deaton wasn't looking as he pinched Stiles' arm.

Stiles yelped and glared at Derek, but didn't say anything.

"All right, I suppose," Deaton said reluctantly, pointing at the chairs in the waiting room.

Derek looked pleased as he led Stiles to the nearest chair. "Play along," he hissed, pretending to check Stiles' temperature.

Stiles nodded slightly to indicate he understood.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Derek told Deaton,

Once outside, Derek took out Stiles' phone and called Scott.

"Hello?" Scott answered after the third ring.

"Scott, can you come to Deaton's office?" Derek asked.

"Why?" Scott sounded confused.

"I need your help," Derek admitted.

Scott sighed. "I'll be there in a few minutes. This better be important."

Derek hung up without a second thought. _"If only you knew how important this truly is," he thought._

"Okay, remember that I will almost be killing Stiles, so we have to be really careful. No one talks except me. You two are in charge of holding him down. _Only _holding him down," Deaton looked at Derek as he said the last part, making sure Derek understood.

Derek rolled his eyes and nodded to indicate he understood. He just wanted to get this over with.

"Stiles, are you ready?" Deaton asked Stiles; making sure the boy knew what he was getting himself into.

"I guess so," Stiles replied, looking at Scott hesitantly. "You guys won't let me die, right? "

Scott and Derek both replied in unison. "Of course not."

Stiles took a deep breath as he stepped into the tub full of ice with the help of Scott. "Here goes nothing."

"Stiles, do you remember last night?" Deaton asked softly.

"Yeah. My dad was drunk." Stiles wasn't moving at all. It was strange seeing him stay still for so long. He was usually always doing something or mouthing someone off.

"Okay. What about later that night? Did you go to sleep early or late?"

"I didn't," Stiles responded.

"You didn't sleep at all?"

"No."

"What did you do then?" Deaton was sure they were about to learn something none of them wanted to hear.

"I… was talking to my mom," Stiles' voice shook.

"Your mom is dead, Stiles," Deaton whispered.

"She was there," Stiles insisted. "She was mad at me, mad because… because I killed her."

His voice got louder and he was speaking quickly. "I killed her, I killed her. She told me it was her turn to kill me. She gave me a bottle of pills…. Said that would do the trick. She wouldn't leave, wouldn't stop blaming me until I swallowed every single one. She made me wash them down with my dad's wine."

Everyone heard the desperation in his voice. "I killed her and she came back to kill me. She said my dad would be better off without me. I didn't want to do it but I couldn't make her go away. I couldn't get the accusations out of my head. 'You killed me, Stiles, you killed me. I loved you with all my heart and you repaid me by killing me!' Louder and louder until I felt like my head would explode."

Stiles stopped speaking suddenly. The whole room was silent. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

"I didn't want to kill her. I tried to get her to understand, but she wouldn't listen to me. No one ever listens to me until it's too late!" Stiles finally stopped.

Deaton asked one last question. "Stiles, think hard. Was it really your mother last night?"

"It was her! It was her!" Stiles chanted over and over until his voice gave out.

"There's something not right about this whole thing," Derek felt frustrated.

Scott didn't say anything. He was still too shocked to speak.

"Scott, help me figure this out. Stiles' life may be in danger!" Derek snapped, feeling like he was suffocating.

"I can't believe he never told me any of this. He never talked about his mom after she died. I didn't know he felt this way," Scott sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Scott, focus. There's a time and place for everything, and right now it's time to work together so we can save Stiles!" Derek was close to punching a wall.

"Something similar happened when we stayed at the motel a few weeks ago. It was the wolfsbane in Coach's whistle making us all hallucinate and want to commit suicide. There was also that one time when Lydia gave us all punch spiked with wolfsbane and we all hallucinated. You think it could be something like that?" Scott looked over at Stiles. He was sitting on an operating table, sipping ginger ale to calm his stomach. He didn't seem to remember anything, and if he did, he was choosing to ignore it.

"Okay, let's just say the pills had wolfsbane, or maybe his dad's wine. He took those AFTER the hallucinations, not before. It must have been something else."

Scott nodded. "I know Lydia would recognize it, so why don't I give her a call and tell her to go check Stiles' house for any sign of it?"

"Yeah, do that. Meanwhile, we have to keep our eye on Stiles," Derek informed.

"Should we take him to the hospital?"

"He's already puked up most, if not all of those pills, and he seems to be doing better. Let's just keep an eye on him, and if he gets worse, we take him to the hospital," Derek suggested.

Scott agreed. It was as good of an idea as any. He just hoped they would be able to handle this on their own and no one would get hurt.


	3. Chapter 3

"So you found traces of wolfsbane on the picture of his mom?" Scott asked Lydia over the phone. "But where was the picture?

"On his dad's bed."

"That makes no sense though. Wouldn't whoever wanted to do this put it in Stiles' room?"

"Maybe they knew Stiles' dad was drunk and would end up sleeping somewhere else" Lydia suggested.

"Derek was right. There is something incredibly fishy going on here." Scott hung up, determined to talk to Stiles. He had to get to the bottom of this.

Scott informed Derek of the wolfsbane on the picture frame of Stiles' mom. He also told Derek what Lydia theorized. Just like him, Derek felt there was something wrong with this whole picture, like they were missing vital information.

"We need to talk to Stiles," Scott told Derek.

Derek wanted to talk to Stiles alone, but didn't say anything.

"Well?" Scott asked, waiting for a response.

"You're his best friend, you talk to him," Derek replied.

"All right," Scott agreed, feeling uncomfortable by Derek's stony silence.

He made his way to Stiles, motioning for Deaton to give them some alone time. He waited until Derek and Deaton were both out of earshot until he started talking.

"Listen, man. I don't know how much you remember, or even if you remember anything, but this is serious. Your life may be in danger, so as much as you don't want to, we need to talk about what's been happening," Scott started, choosing his words carefully.

"Do you remember when we met?" Stiles asked, changing the topic.

"Yeah, but what does this have to do with anything?" Scott felt frustrated.

"We were both going to the school psychologist because they were concerned about us. Your parents had just gone through a nasty divorce and I was losing my mom. We were the only two kids there, remember? They always scheduled our appointments around the same time, and now I'm starting to think it wasn't a coincidence. Maybe the psychologist was trying to help us make friends with each other," Stiles tapped his foot against a metal drawer. "Lately, it seems like there have always been exterior forces controlling everything, and I'm not liking this one bit."

"Neither am I, Stiles. That's why we need to talk about things," Scott was trying to be patient, he really was, but he felt like they were wasting precious time.

Stiles nodded. "We are talking about things, Scott." He paused for a moment, taking another sip of the ginger ale. "I feel so shitty, dude. Every time I stand up, or make any sudden movements, it feels like I'm spinning in circles and I feel like puking. I want to go to sleep until this passes but I can't sleep."

Scott sighed. He felt like this was going nowhere. He felt like he had a better chance of figuring things out if he talked to Deaton. "Why don't I go talk to Deaton and see if he has something to help you get better?"

Stiles frowned. "He's a vet, dude, not a miracle worker. I swear to god that if you guys feed me some poodle meds I will…"

Scott shook his head and walked out. He went up to Derek and motioned for him to go in. "Your turn, I'm having no luck with him. Look, you guys are safe here with the mountain ash. No supernatural being can get through, so why don't Deaton and I go investigate at the Stilinski house, and you try to talk to Stiles."

Deaton seemed unsure about leaving Derek and Stiles alone in his office, but Scott's eyes begged him to go along with the idea, so he agreed. He trusted Scott, even if he didn't trust the other two.

"Fine," Derek seemed annoyed.

"Okay. If anything happens, you call me. If we find anything, I'll call you."

Derek walked towards Stiles with a grim look on his face. He didn't even bother with small talk. "All day, something has been bothering me. Why would anyone want to hurt you? I mean, you're Scott's best friend, and I get that, but if they want to get to Scott, all they have to do is hurt his mom. Why you?"

Stiles shrugged. "Maybe I have cool superhero powers that I haven't discovered yet. Maybe I am the Chosen One, like in Harry Potter. The Darach is probably jealous of my good looks or charming personality."

Derek rolled his eyes. Leave it to Stiles to ruin the moment.

"You said you trusted me before, remember?"

Stiles scoffed. "I was delusional. I had a fever. You can't hold me accountable for anything I did or said."

Derek said nothing. He just crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Stiles. He really wanted to punch Stiles in the face right now, but the kid looked so pathetic with his hair all messed up, his cheeks flushed because of the fever, and his chapped lips that he kept licking. It made Derek angrier that he was even thinking about how Stiles looked.

"Fine, yeah, I do trust you, but if you tell anyone I told you, I swear to god I'll, I'll…."

"You'll what?" Derek smirked.

_I'll kiss you and run my hands down your beautifully firm body. _

Stiles looked horrified for a moment and slightly shifted a few inches away from Derek. "I'll nothing," he muttered, staring at the floor.

Derek held back the urge to laugh. Stiles was just too cute sometimes.

"Don't you dare laugh at me, Derek Hale," Stiles commanded, glaring at Derek.

Derek was serious again. "Sorry. I want to talk about last night, Stiles. I need to know if I'm going to keep you alive."

Stiles bit his lip, turning away from Derek. "You're the only one who understands, Derek. You get what it's like to live with this guilt weighing you down. You're the only one who won't judge me. I'll tell you everything."

_Stiles was crying on his parents' bed. He missed his mom so much. He missed the warmth of her lips against his temple when he was sick. He missed the random hugs and 'I love you's. He missed the smell of pancakes in the morning, the sound of his mother humming while she prepared his lunch. He missed being held while he cried. He missed seeing his dad happy, seeing the love between his parents. He hugged his mother's picture, pretending it was her, but it felt all wrong. The picture was cold, unresponsive, just like his mother had been after she died._

_ Suddenly, she was there in his room, her eye falling out of her socket, the smell of rotting flesh in the air. She pointed at him, a horrifying grin on her face. Her finger was thin and bony, with barely any flesh left._

_ "Stiles," she spoke, her voice angry. "You killed me. I could have lived, but you killed me."_

_ Stiles closed his eyes and pulled the covers over his face, like he used to when he was little. All was quiet, and for a moment, he though she was gone, but suddenly, the smell of death hit him. He opened his eyes to find his mother's corpse staring at him, the mouth open and maggots fell out onto the bed._

_ "Oh my god!" Stiles screamed and tried to get up from the bed. He fell off with a thud, and his mother was quickly at his side. _

_ "I was going to be okay. The doctors said I was in remission, but you killed me. You stole the rest of my life from me."_

_ Stiles put his hands over his ears, trying to ignore her. _

_ "It wasn't enough that you stole 11 years of my life. 11 years of having to wait on you 24/7. Even when you started school, you were always in trouble and I kept having to bring you home." _

_ She suddenly raised her voice," BUT THAT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR YOU, WAS IT? YOU HAD TO KILL ME. YOU DIDN'T JUST KILL ME, STILES. YOU KILLED YOUR BABY BROTHER. I WAS PREGNANT AND YOU KILLED US BOTH. HOW COULD YOU?"_

_ Stiles was breathing heavily, tears pouring down his eyes. "None of this is real. I'm asleep. I'm having a nightmare, but I'll wake up, and realize this never happened. You're dead, and there was never another baby. What I did was out of love."_

_ His mother laughed, her head slowly turning towards the closet. "Look in there. You'll find the baby's ultrasound."_

_ Stiles couldn't stop shaking, but his mother kept screaming at him to check the closet until he couldn't stand the noise any longer. He got up and dug through the closet until he found it. As he held the ultrasound in his hands, he knew it was all true. He was a monster. _

Stiles couldn't go on. He felt as if he couldn't catch his breath, and the harder he tried to, the more he felt he was going to suffocate. His heart was pounding so hard that he felt it was going to pop out of his chest. He couldn't stop shaking, felt like he was going to die.

Derek wasted no time. "Stiles, look at me. You're okay, everything's okay. You don't have to tell me anything else. Just breathe, okay? Focus on my voice and just breathe."

It was no use. Stiles was making choking noises, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were starting to roll up on his head and Derek did the only thing he could think of. He kissed Stiles.

It wasn't a quick kiss. It lasted a good minute, with Derek releasing all emotions through it. He grabbed Stiles by the shirt and pressed his lips against Stiles' lips, being rougher than he expected. Stiles looked surprised, but it did the trick.

For a moment, Stiles closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the moment. Derek knew he had to pull away sooner or later, knew he had to give Stiles room to breathe, but this felt too good. It was the first time in years that anything felt right in Derek Hale's life.

Neither one knew who pulled away first, but before they knew it, Stiles was smoothing out his shirt, and Derek was standing a few feet away, inspecting Deaton's equipment.

No one spoke. They weren't even looking at each other. Derek could hear Stiles crying, but he didn't know what to do. Finally, he decided to let him know that he truly understood.

He didn't want to embarrass Stiles by watching him cry, so he pretended to be interested in Deaton's stuff. "When I was your age, I fell in love with a girl. She was beautiful and extremely talented. Her name was Paige, and she was my first love. I did something stupid, Stiles. I made a stupid decision that ultimately led to me killing her."

Derek cleared his throat before continuing. "Peter convinced me to turn her. He said it would never last unless I did. I didn't want to, but I was young and stupid. I agreed."

Derek sighed. "I changed my mind, but it was too late. She was bitten, and her body rejected the bite. I held her as she was dying. I knew it was too late to save her, but a part of me desperately hoped she was stronger than I thought. I wanted her to live."

A single tear ran down Derek Hale's cheek. "Her death was slow and agonizing. She begged me to end her life, and as a final act of mercy, I did. I'm the reason she died, and I've lived with that guilt ever since. I don't think it will ever truly disappear, so yes, I do understand Stiles. I understand all too well what you're going through."

Stiles could be quiet when he wanted to be. Derek felt the too warm hand on his shoulder, and finally realized that they had a connection, and maybe, just maybe, they would be able to help each other heal.


	4. Chapter 4

After a few days, everything seemed back to normal, well, as normal as things could be in Beacon Hills. Stiles was tired of Derek, Scott, and Isaac constantly watching over him. He was okay now, there was no need to treat him like a baby.

"Dude, you should come over to my place tonight. Isaac and I are having a video game tournament," Scott brought it up casually, but Stiles knew Scott was just making up an excuse to keep an eye on him without making it obvious.

Stiles shrugged. As much as he didn't like being tricked, he could use a distraction, and what better way to get away for a bit than to sleep over Scott's place and just mess around?

"I am not taking no for an answer," Scott said, playfully shoving Stiles into Ms. Blake's classroom.

Stiles felt his legs give out beneath him and he fell on all fours in front of Ms. Blake's desk. A sudden wave of fatigue hit him and he felt like his limbs were made out of lead. He could barely hold his head up. He felt like he was losing consciousness.

Next thing he knew, he was sitting at his desk, half of the class staring at him.

"Dude, I'm sorry. I must have pushed you too hard. Are you okay?" Scott exchanged a look with Isaac, and Stiles wasn't sure, but it seemed like Isaac gave a little nod in return.

"I'm fine," Stiles replied, shrugging it off. "I think I tripped on something."

Mrs. Blake approached Stiles. "Mr. Stilinski, you had me worried for a minute. Are you sure you don't need to see the nurse?'

Stiles shook his head. "I'm okay, really." He yawned loudly. "I'm just sleepy."

"Well okay, I will take your word for it, but if you change your mind, I will be more than happy to write you a pass to the nurse," she smiled at him before walking to the front of the class and adjusting a few of the desks he'd knocked over.

Stiles nodded, not really paying attention. He felt annoyed and frustrated because he seemed to be losing control. Now he understood how Lydia felt when Peter was controlling her.

"Hi," Jennifer waved, running to meet Derek halfway. She jumped into his arms and kissed him hard, smearing red lipstick on his lips.

"Hey," he mumbled, holding her close.

She smiled, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "You always know how to make me want more. I kind of want to ditch the rest of my classes and jus go home with you."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her again. "Then do it. We can have a lot of fun," he murmured, lightly biting her lip.

She pulled away, a pout forming. "I wish I could, but I can't just leave without a proper notice. Plus, things have been strange around here and I wouldn't want to make them think I've gone missing too."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Strange things? What can you possibly label as strange in this town?"

Jennifer bit her lip. "I don't think this was supernatural like all the other things that have been happening, but today, a student of mine randomly collapsed as he was entering my classroom. He came to a few minutes later and was back to normal. I don't know, it just struck me as strange. Mr. Stilinski has never acted like this before, and given his history, I feel like this is a red flag."

Derek's heart was pounding now. Just when he thought that Stiles was out of danger, this happened.

Derek tried to act as if he didn't care. He shrugged. "Maybe it's the flu. I hear there's a bad one going around."

Jennifer eyed Derek suspiciously but didn't mention it. "I think class is starting in five minutes. I should probably go."

She kissed Derek tenderly and gave him one las hug before she walked away. She didn't understand why Derek's reaction bothered her, but all of a sudden, she felt like Stiles was a threat to her and Derek's relationship.

"Dude, no! That's cheating!" Stiles groaned, collapsing on Scott's bed. "You guys suck."

Isaac grinned. "Someone's a sore loser."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be a sore loser if you hadn't cheated. Some people just want to watch the world burn."

Scott smiled, shaking his head. "How is that cheating though?"

Stiles shrugged. "I don't know. You guys cheated though. I call a rematch!"

Isaac smirked. "I'm still gonna win."

"We'll see about that," Stiles mumbled, concentrating on the screen in front of him. He was determined to beat Isaac.

A few hours later, the boys were watching a movie. It was supposed to be scary, but they just spent the whole time laughing at how horrible it was. After half an hour into it, Stiles started throwing popcorn at Scott.

"Dude, we should have watched Star Wars," Stiles said reproachfully, playfully smacking Scott.

"I agree. Anything is better than this," Isaac groaned, covering his face with a pillow. "This is the worst movie I have ever seen."

Scott grinned. "That's what makes it funny. You guys are no fun."

Isaac mumbled into his pillow. "Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

Scott called Isaac a party pooper but he turned off the TV.

Stiles sighed loudly. "It's too early to sleep. I want to do something."

Scott agreed. "Let's go for a drive around town."

Stiles got up quickly. "Awesome! Bye Isaac!" He was out the door before Scott had the time to stand up. This was the perfect chance to have a talk with his best friend.

"So, how have you been lately?" Scott asked nonchalantly.

"I'm fine. Do you think my dad will let me get an awesome motorcycle like the ones the twins have?"

Scott shrugged. "Maybe when you're 18. What happened today in class? I know I didn't push you that hard." He jumped right to the point. He knew if he beat around the bush any longer, he would get nothing out of Stiles.

"I don't know. I think it was just a one time thing. I'm okay though, really," Stiles looked Scott in the eye. " I would tell you if something was up. You're my brother and I trust you. I just ask that you trust me back, okay? If anything happens, I will tell you first, I promise."

Scott nodded, giving Stiles a one armed hug. "I trust you, brother."

It was the middle of Ms. Blake's class the next day when it finally happened. At first, Stiles just felt like he was going to sneeze, but then he realized he was getting a nosebleed. He held his nose and tried to get up, but realized he was losing too much blood too fast. He was getting weaker by the second.

'Scott," he called out shakily, trying to stop the blood.

Scott turned to Stiles just as Stiles passed out, hitting his head on the desk. He wasted no time in calling 911. This had gone on for too long. Stiles needed medical attention.

He woke up hooked to a bunch of machines. His first instinct was to yank them all out and run far away from this place. He hadn't been in a hospital room like this since his mother died. He could feel a panic attack coming. His hands began to shake, and it was getting harder to breathe. He couldn't even call out for help.

Derek appeared at his side, pushing Stiles' hair back with his hand. This time, he didn't even bother with comforting words, instead, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Stiles' lips.

Suddenly, a nurse walked in. "I know you want to be with your boyfriend, but can you please step back while I check how he's doing? I promise I'll be quick." She smiled at them.

Stiles was surprised that Derek complied without telling the nurse that they weren't a couple. He was equally as surprised that he wasn't denying it either, but justified it because he was sick. He could still taste Derek's lips, and he felt his cheeks get warm from the thought. He had no idea what the hell was going on, but at that moment, he didn't care. As long as Derek was by his side, he would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

"Dehydration? But that doesn't explain the nosebleed." Derek could hear the frustration in Stiles' voice.

"Nosebleed? There is nothing on your file about a nosebleed." The doctor looked down at his notes, looking baffled.

"What do you mean there's nothing in your notes about my nosebleed? I was losing so much blood, I though that was why I passed out!" Stiles was getting agitated.

At that moment, Nurse McCall walked in. "Doctor, you're needed in room 215."

The doctor excused himself and walked out, leaving Melissa alone with Derek and Stiles.

"Sweetheart, you need to calm down. I talked to Scott while you were unconscious and there was no nosebleed. Your dad is on his way. Just relax, okay? Everything is fine," she placed a comforting hand on Stiles' arm. "If anyone sees you freaking out, we'll have to sedate you, so try to stay calm."

Stiles closed his eyes, feeling like he was losing his mind. He didn't know what was going on but he was starting to doubt himself.

"Okay. Can you tell me what's wrong with me then?" He swallowed, fearing the worst.

"Don't worry, it's nothing we can't fix. Like Doctor Long told you, it's just severe dehydration. We'll keep you here a few nights until you're hydrated again, then you can go home," she smiled reassuringly at him.

"It's not…cancer…then?" Just saying the word made him want to puke. His mom died of a brain tumor, and he remembered her last weeks, how she was flat out hallucinating, how she'd slowly lost her mind over the course of a few months. He didn't want to end up like that. He didn't want to put his dad through it again.

"Stiles," she leaned down to hug him. "Of course not. It was the first thing we checked for, given your family history. You don't have cancer, any form of it, I made them check thoroughly."

He exhaled, relief washing over him. "Thank you," he whispered, enjoying the warmth of her hug.

"It was no problem at all. You're like a son to me. Do you really think I wouldn't think to check you thoroughly?" She smiled, kissing his forehead. "Your dad should be here any minute, would you like me to wait with you? I'm on my lunch break," she pushed back his hair, running her hands through it. It seemed like something all mothers did, and Stiles was touched that she considered him her son.

"No, it's okay. Go eat, I'm fine," he managed to smile at her, even though that's the last thing he wanted to do.

"Are you sure?" she adjusted his pillows, making sure he was comfortable.

"Yeah. Thanks for the offer though," he smiled until she left the room. He then collapsed against his pillows, desperately wanting to cry.

Derek didn't say much; he just leaned against the wall, no expression on his face.

"How can you just stand there as if nothing's happened between us?" Stiles demanded, letting anger mask his fear. "We've kissed, twice, and every time, you just pretend nothing's happened. Now I'm in a freakin hospital room and I've apparently been hallucinating, and you don't seem to care. You confuse me, Derek Hale, and it makes me angry. No, scratch that, it makes me furious. Do not play with my emotions. . You've been in my shoes before, you know what it's like for someone to play with your emotions for their own benefit. Don't sink as low as Kate Argent did." He took a breath, wanting to grab Derek by the shoulders and shake him until Derek understood. "I don't understand you. One minute you're stalking me to make sure I don't get hurt, and the next, you could care less that I'm having some sort of emotional breakdown that's landed me in the hospital. Just leave." He was shaking now, trembling with anger.

Derek looked like he wanted to say so much, like Stiles' words hit him hard, but it only lasted a second. His gaze hardened, and without a second glance, he walked out, leaving Stiles be.

Minutes after Derek left, Sherriff Stilinski walked in. He immediately rushed to his son's side, checking him.

"Stiles, I'm so sorry it took me so long to get here. There was a nasty pileup and…" Stiles put his hand up to silence his father.

"It's okay Dad," he looked into his father's face, and all of a sudden, he felt like a child again, and he longed to just throw his arms around his dad's neck and cry until he felt better.

"How do you feel?" Sherriff Stilinski touched Stiles' forehead, checking for a fever.

"I'm okay, Stiles whispered, his throat suddenly dry.

"I'll talk to the doctor and see what's going on, but I want to spend some time with you first," the Sherriff sat down in the chair previously inhabited by Derek Hale.

Stiles didn't say anything, just stared at the IV in his arm. He watched as a liquid poured into his veins, willing himself to push all emotions away.

Sherriff Stilinski was worried, very worried. He normally couldn't get Stiles to shut up, but now, Stiles was barely talking. Even on his worst days, Stiles would run his mouth, speaking nonsense.

"What's wrong with my son, Doc?" he asked.

"Mr. Stilinski is severely dehydrated. It seems as though he hasn't eaten or drank anything for over a week. I'm surprised he's made it this long," the doctor said matter-of-factly.

"How is this possible? My son usually eats a lot, he would never starve himself intentionally," Sherriff Stilinski suddenly felt a sense of dread. Stiles wouldn't do anything to hurt himself, would he?

"I don't know, Mr. Stilinski. I want to bring in a professional for a psychiatric evaluation," the doctor watched the Sherriff attentively, watching for any abnormal reaction.

"Psychiatric evaluation? Stiles was in therapy for years after his mom died and a variety of different doctors said he was fine." He sighed, rubbing his temple," if this will help my son, do what you have to do. Just please, help my boy."


	6. Chapter 6

Scott heard Derek before he saw him. He was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for his turn to see Stiles. His mother wanted him to return to school but he wouldn't leave his best friend, not at a time like this.

"How is he?" Scott looked up from his phone, trying to read Derek's expression.

"He didn't have a nosebleed, did he? He insists that he passed out because he was losing a lot of blood," Derek explained, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall.

"No. He was fine one minute, the next he called out my name and he just passed out. He was holding his nose though," Scott sighed. "What's wrong with him?"

"Dehydration, apparently," Derek stated.

"Yeah, I know. My mom told me that, but there's something else, isn't there?" Scott's lips formed a thin line. He didn't understand what was going on, and although that happened quite often, this time it was personal. Stiles, his brother, was in danger.

"He's hallucinating again. He's severely dehydrated, and judging by the way he consumes food when you guys come over, I'd say he's not the type to starve himself. It's like he's losing track of time or he's forgetting things. Either way, we need to find a way to stop this before he is seriously injured," Derek searched his mind, trying to find someone who could help them. _Peter!_

"Hey man, how do you feel?" Scott sat on the edge of Stiles' bed. "Lydia's been asking about you."

Stiles sighed in response.

"You're not mad, are you? What's bothering you?" Scott didn't like the way Stiles was looking at him.

Stiles shook his head. "I'm just tired."

It was so out of character for Stiles to give such brief answers. It was like his mind was somewhere else.

"Do you want me to leave so you can sleep? I can come back later, if you want," Scott offered, starting to get up.

Stiles grabbed Scott's arm to pull him back down, but suddenly pulled away. "No," he whispered, abruptly sitting up with his legs against his chest.

"Stiles, what's wrong?" Scott asked, feeling a chill down his spine.

Stiles closed his eyes, shaking his head repeatedly. Scott could see that he was shaking.

"Dude, there's nothing here. I swear." Scott didn't know what else to do. Stiles seemed in a trance-like state. He was rocking back and forth, his eyes closed and his hands over his ears.

"NOOOOOOOO!" He screamed out, causing a few nurses to rush in, along with Mr. Stilinski.

"What's going on in here?" The Sheriff demanded, turning to Scott for answers.

"I-I don't know. He was fine a minute ago," Scott stammered.

Stiles was fighting with the nurses, kicking and thrashing about. He'd managed to pull out his IV and was now curled up against the wall, muttering incoherently.

"We're going to have to sedate him. Scott, John, please wait outside," Melissa ordered, motioning for the nurses to hold Stiles down.

"I can't leave my son," John responded, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Okay. Help us hold him down. Scott, go outside." Melissa was preparing the sedative while the other three struggled to pin Stiles down.

Rather than listen to his mom, Scott walked to the side of Stiles with only one nurse and helped her hold his left arm down. He looked into Stiles' eyes and saw the pure look of terror in them, terror and emptiness. It scared him.

"It's going to be okay, son. I promise," John whispered, resting his chin against Stiles' forehead as he held his only son's arm down.

Stiles didn't seem to hear him, and before anyone else had the chance to say anything. Melissa had sedated him and put the IV back in. It was eerily quiet in there, everyone looking at each other for answers.

"What is wrong with my son?" John demanded, his voice rough.

"We don't know, but we'll get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, he's going to have to be restrained, otherwise he'll end up hurting himself," Melissa rested Stiles' arm gently on the bed. "I'll be dammed if this kid isn't back to normal within a week."

Little did they know that by the end of the week, any trace of Stiles would be completely gone.

"Peter, I need your help," Derek started, trying to get Peter's attention.

"What is it now?" Peter responded, looking bored.

"I need your help finding the Darach and destroying it"

"Hm," Peter replied, looking at his fingernails.

Derek stormed over to Peter and grabbed him by the shirt. "You will help whether you want to or not."

Peter frowned. "No need to get your panties in a bunch, nephew. Let me down."

Derek released him, letting him fall on the floor with a loud thud.

Peter brushed himself off, scoffing loudly. 'Why is everyone taking their anger out on me?"

At that moment, Cora walked in. "Did I miss something?"

Peter shrugged. "Just your brooding brother attacking me for no reason."

Cora raised an eyebrow. "Really? Don't mind him, he's just upset about his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Peter looked interested.

Cora nodded. "Stiles and Derek are madly in love but don't want to accept it." She rolled her eyes. "It's pathetic, really."

"Ah, and I suppose the Stilinski boy is being targeted by the Darach now," Peter inferred.

Cora shrugged. "Probably. I heard he collapsed in class today and he was rushed to the hospital."

"It all makes sense now," Peter mumbled to himself.

"I'm related to a bunch of freaks," Cora muttered, walking off.

Peter now understood why Stiles was being targeted, and he knew that if they didn't stop the Darach soon, the boy wouldn't live to see another day.

"I just don't understand!" Sheriff Stilinski exclaimed, pacing back and forth. "He was fine, and now all of a sudden, he isn't. What if it is cancer? What if he has a brain tumor just like Claudia?" He sat down on a chair, putting his head in his hands.

"John, calm down. It's not cancer, we double checked," Melissa sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his back. "It must be tough seeing your son like this, but you need to stay strong, for him."

John sighed and nodded. He looked up at Melissa. "I know. Thank you for everything you're doing for us, and have done for us."

Melissa smiled. "It has been no problem at all. I have to get back to work in a few minutes. Do you want me to go get you coffee or something?"

John ran a hand through his hair. "If it's not too much trouble. I would get it myself but I don't want to leave in case Stiles wakes up."

Melissa gave him a sympathetic look. "I understand. I will be right back."

John watched her walk off. He rubbed his eyes, willing himself to not drift off. He wouldn't leave his son alone again, not this time.

Scott sat in the hospital cafeteria, waiting for his friends to arrive. They said two heads were better than one, so he decided to bring everyone together so they could figure out what the hell was going on.

Lydia was the first one to show up. She wasted no time. "How is he?"

"He was sedated earlier. He'll be out for hours."

Lydia nodded, sitting down next to Scott. "Was it wolfsbane again?"

"I don't know. How could it be wolfsbane this time? Unless the Darach is stalking Stiles, I don't see how it could be wolfsbane."

Lydia was about to say something when Allison showed up. She was with her dad. "I thought it was time we brought in outside help," she said sheepishly.

Scott nodded. "Good idea. We could use all the help we can get."

Mr. Argent sat in between Scott and Allison. "Is the Sheriff aware of everything?"

Scott shook his head. "Stiles didn't want to tell him because he thought it would put his dad in danger."

Chris stood up. "I'm gonna go talk to him. See how much he knows."

Scott didn't think it was such a good idea, but he kept quiet. Allison's dad still intimidated him.

"Hey guys. What did I miss?" Isaac seemed out of breath.

"Where have you been dude?" Scott asked.

"I had to come by bus and I kinda dozed off so I ended up missing my stop. I ran here," his cheeks were flushed.

"You should have called me. I would have given you a ride," Scott motioned for him to sit down. "You haven't missed much, we're just trying to figure out a plan."

Lydia took out a notebook and started drawing. "Someone should go into his hospital room and check his belongings. Maybe there's wolfsbane hidden somewhere."

Everyone stared at her in shock. "What?" she asked innocently, looking up at them.

"Lydia, you're a genius," Scott exclaimed, standing up. "While Allison's dad is talking to the Sheriff, I'm going to sneak into his room and see if I can find any wolfsbane."

"What do you want us to do meanwhile?" Allison questioned.

Scott thought about it. "We need to find out who the Darach is. Maybe you guys could do a little research and make a list of suspects."

"Okay, we're on it."

Lydia was sketching, letting her mind wander. She knew Allison and Isaac probably weren't too happy with her right now, but she didn't care. Something about this felt right amongst all the chaos.

There was something bothering her. She felt as if everything surrounding Stiles could be pieced together, if only she could see what connected them. She turned to a blank page in her notebook and began scribbling.

Wolfsbane= hallucinations

-found on the picture of his mom

-looking for some in hospital room

Passed out twice in English class

Severely dehydrated

She stared off into space, trying to connect the dots. Next thing she knew, she was sketching another tree. Suddenly, it hit her.

"Is Ms. Blake dating anyone?" she asked casually, not looking up from her notebook.

"She and Derek have been seeing each other, why?" Isaac answered.

"Just curious. She's such a pretty woman, I figured she couldn't be single."

Lydia needed to talk to Derek. She now realized what was going on and knew the only one who could save Stiles was Derek.


	7. Chapter 7

"Mom, I need you to do me a huge favor," Scott gave Melissa his cutest smile.

"No," Melissa said without hesitation.

"Please Mom? This is really important. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't," Scott begged.

Melissa sighed. "What is it?"

"I need you to let me see Stiles. It won't take long, and it could be a matter of life or death."

Melissa looked at Scott for a long time. She knew her son wouldn't put her in this position if it wasn't important. "Fine, but you get five minutes."

Scott smiled and hugged her. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

The first place Scott checked was Stiles' backpack. He made sure to take every single item out and turn the backpack inside out. Nothing. He sniffed it just in case, but the wolfsbane was definitely not in there.

He looked through all the stuff that was in the backpack, shaking the books open to see if anything came out, but still he found nothing. The search was getting him nowhere.

After looking through everything, he sat next to Stiles. "I'm sorry, man. I don't know what's causing this. I don't know what to do."

He looked at Stiles' face. If Stiles was the one sitting here, he wouldn't give up. He'd always stuck by Scott, even after Scott turned into a werewolf. He didn't give up on Scott when Scott attacked him after an angry fit. He helped Scott through his breakup with Allison. Even now, he was still trying to help Scott figure out who the Darach was, and how to deal with Deucalion. Stiles never gave up on him, he'd be dammed if he gave up on Stiles.

'Don't worry Stiles. I'll save you. I promise brother..." he trailed off, looking up into the face of the Sheriff.

"Scott, what are you doing in here?" John asked, his face unreadable.

"I just, I uh, wanted to make sure Stiles was okay. He has me very worried."

"Join the club," John replied, sitting next to his son. "You should leave before they catch you in here. He's not supposed to have any visitors except for family."

Scott nodded and started walking away, but not before turning around and looking the Sheriff dead in the eye. "I am his family. We're brothers." He walked away then, not giving John any time to respond. It was times like these that Sheriff Stilinski realized what great friends his son had.

Lydia was driving toward Derek's house. She felt on edge, as if something were about to happen. Suddenly, a big animal was in the middle of the road and she tried to swerve to avoid it but it was too late. She collided straight into it, hitting her head against the steering wheel.

After the initial shock, she tried to unbuckle her seatbelt, but had no luck. She was stuck. She felt something warm and sticky slide down the side of her face. It was blood. Lydia ignored it and started going through her purse.

"Looking for this?" a voice asked from the passenger seat.

Lydia didn't have to turn around to see who it was. She knew she was in danger as soon as she figured out the identity of the Darach.

She turned around slowly, not wanting to see the distorted face of the Darach. It was Jennifer with her human face.

"Hi Lydia," she smiled at Lydia but her eyes were cold.

Lydia swallowed. "I knew it was you."

"I know," Jennifer said, tossing Lydia's cell phone out the window. "That's why I'm here. I can't have you ruining my plans now, can I?"

Lydia was terrified, but determined not to show it. "Even if you kill me, they'll figure it out soon enough. They're not stupid, and once you look at the big picture, it's not hard to connect the dots."

Jennifer grabbed Lydia by the neck, slowly tightening her grip. "Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Either way, you won't live to see it. All because you were the girl who knew too much."

Lydia did the only thing she could do. She screamed and watched as Jennifer paled. "You bitch!"

"What the hell was that?" Cora asked Peter, looking up from her homework.

"Lydia," Peter answered, getting to his feet.

"Did you hear that?" Isaac asked Allison.

"Hear what?" she asked, confused.

"Isaac, we gotta go. Come on." Scott ran out the hospital, Isaac right behind him.

Derek heard the scream. _Lydia. _He didn't hesitate. He followed the source of the scream, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

Ethan nudged Aiden. "You hear that?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go investigate."

"Do you realize what you just did?" Jennifer snarled, squeezing hard before letting Lydia go.

"You're a banshee, you idiot. Now that you screamed, someone is going to die. It should have been you, but I'll settle for someone else. Perhaps Stiles." She smiled one last time before getting out of the car and disappearing.

Derek was the first one to arrive. He ran up to Lydia, claws ready. "What happened?" He demanded.

"There's no time to talk. You need to get to the hospital right now and protect Stiles, okay? Stay by his side no matter what. GO!" Lydia ordered, her voice raspy.

Derek ran off, faster than Lydia had ever seen him run.

Scott and Isaac were next. They arrived out of breath, claws ready. "Lydia, are you okay?" Scott asked, checking her head.

"I'm fine. Just get me out of here. I'm stuck."

Scott sliced the seatbelt open and helped Lydia out while Isaac retrieved her phone.

"Should I call an ambulance or..." Isaac asked, looking at Scott for an answer.

"Yeah."

By the time the rest of the group showed up, paramedics were checking Lydia. Aiden walked over to her while Ethan stayed behind calling Danny to make sure he was okay.

"What happened here?" Ethan asked Scott.

"A deer ran straight into her car or something. I don't really know. She didn't tell us much."

"Where's Derek?" Cora asked. "If we heard her scream, he did too."

Scott shrugged. "I haven't seen him."

"What about you?" Cora looked at Isaac.

"What about me?" he asked, looking around.

"Do you know where Derek is?"

Isaac shook his head.

"Does anyone know where Derek is?" Cora asked, exasperated.

No one answered her.

"Guess not," she replied to herself, rolling her eyes.

Lydia refused to go to the hospital. She was stitched up and her mom came to pick her up. She wouldn't tell anyone who'd tried to strangle her, but no one pushed it. Everyone was pretty confused. Why were they able to hear her scream from so far away?

"I guess we should head back to the hospital. Allison is waiting for us," Scott spoke first.

"Yeah, we need to go too. Deucalion will be wondering where we are," Ethan explained.

"We're leaving too," Cora said before abruptly walking away.

The awkwardness hung in the air until they had all dispersed, none of them aware of the danger they were all in.


	8. Chapter 8

"I need to see Stiles," Derek said, matter-of-factly.

The Sheriff shook his head. "Absolutely not."

"I'm not asking for permission," Derek said through clenched teeth.

"You can't just come in here and demand to see my son. I am his father and if I say you can't see him, you can't see him," replied Sheriff Stilinski, standing his ground.

"If you don't let me go in that room right now, something bad will happen to Stiles," Derek's voice was harsh, but his eyes were pleading.

Sheriff Stilinski got up, marching up to Derek. "Are you threatening my son? I am the Sheriff. I will have you arrested and thrown in jail."

This wasn't working, and it was urgent that Derek be with Stiles. He decided to take a different approach. "Please, sir. I mean Stiles no harm. On the contrary, I have to protect him. Believe me, I would never do anything to hurt your son." His eyes were raw with emotion, his voice strangely soft.

John looked suspicious. One minute this kid was being hostile and demanding to see Stiles, the next he looked like a sad soul mourning for a lost love.

"If he's in any danger, I will be the one to protect him. I don't plan on leaving this place until my son is discharged," John informed Derek.

Derek didn't say anything. He looked like he was having an internal battle with himself. "I'm sorry Sheriff," he muttered, pushing against John and running into Stiles' room. He was too late. Stiles was long gone.

"Where is my son? What did you do to him you bastard?" Sheriff Stilinski reached for Derek, but Derek was too fast for him.

"He was taken by the person doing all the sacrificing," Derek said, his jaw tightening. "I warned you, but you didn't listen."

"I didn't believe," John whispered, staring at the empty bed that held his son just moments ago.

Derek didn't bother replying. His only thought was to save Stiles, and in order to do that, he would have to talk to Lydia.

"Hello. May I speak to Lydia please?" Derek said politely, faking a smile.

"I'm sorry. Lydia is resting. I gave her sleeping pills to help her sleep," Mrs. Martin explained.

"Okay, thank you ma'am."

Lydia was his only hope. How was he going to find Stiles now?

He decided to sneak into her room through the window. Maybe he would find something in her room.

Upon entering her room, he saw that she was wide awake. Not wanting to frighten her, he approached her bed slowly.

"Lydia," he whispered.

She turned to look at him. "I told you to Stay with Stiles," she hissed, looking angry.

"The Sheriff got in my way and I was too late. The Darach took him," Derek had a pained expression on his face.

Lydia sighed. "You're lucky I spit out those damn sleeping pills, otherwise I wouldn't be able to help you." She made eye contact with him. "I know what Stiles means to you. He's in danger because of you. You love him, and she loves you. She's jealous."

Derek looked momentarily confused before it dawned on him. "Jennifer," he said, a look of disgust on his face.

Lydia nodded. "Now, go. Save him."

"Where do I go?" he questioned, looking at Lydia for answers. She was sketching a tree, when her notebook fell off the bed and landed upside down. When he bent down to pick it up, he saw that what they had originally assumed to be was a tree with branches was actually the roots of a tree.

"The root cellar," he mumbled, giving Lydia the notebook before running out. He was going to save Stiles Stilinski if it was the last thing he did.

"I need you to help me find an old root cellar," Derek begged.

"I'll ask around. Give me a minute." Derek heard muffled voices in the background. He waited impatiently, knowing that any second wasted could cost Stiles his life.

"Allison's dad knows where it is," Scott told Derek, his voice rushed. "He'll take you. We're coming with, though."

"No. This is between me and the Darach," Derek said firmly.

"He's my best friend, Derek. You can't expect me to sit back and watch as he gets ritually sacrificed," Scott replied stubbornly.

"Scott, please. This is personal. I need to do it alone," Derek started. They were wasting time talking, so he finally gave up. "I'll meet you guys at the hospital."

They all piled into the Argent van. No one spoke. The atmosphere was tense. Finally, Scott spoke up, looking right at Derek.

"We're all going to help save Stiles, no matter what you say."

Derek said nothing. He was debating whether or not to tell them the truth. He knew it was the only way to get them to understand, so he took a deep breath and decided to tell them everything.

"The Darach is Jennifer Blake. She didn't take Stiles to sacrifice him, just to kill him. She's jealous because…because we are, or were, dating and I fell for Stiles and she noticed." Derek could feel a blush creeping up his cheeks. "That's why I need to go alone. I need to face her alone because this is personal. I understand that you all want to help but this is something I need to do alone."

No one said anything for a while. It was an unexpected confession. Isaac was the one to break the silence.

"Well it's about time someone likes Stiles," he joked.

Scott punched him and Derek gave him a death glare.

"Here we are," Chris announced, parking as close as he could.

Derek got out silently. Nobody else followed, everyone respecting that this was something they couldn't help with.

"Good luck, man. Bring Stiles back safe and sound, all right?" Scott smiled at him and everyone else muttered "good luck" before driving away and leaving Derek alone to face the problem he created.

"Jennifer," Derek spoke softly.

She turned around and faced him. She looked conflicted. "What are you doing here Derek?"

"You know the answer to that." His eyes were cold. "You've been using me."

She sighed. "No. I was afraid you would think that."

She was interrupted by Stiles moaning quietly. Derek looked over, seeing him for the first time. There was blood on his lip, his arms were tied above his head, and his lips were a bluish hue. He was covered in sweat, and he looked more dead than alive.

Without hesitation, Derek went over to him and took out his claws. He was going to cut the ropes so Stiles could be more comfortable.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Jennifer warned.

"Shut up," Derek responded harshly. He carefully sliced the ropes, resting Stiles' arms against the pole he was tied to. He immediately began clawing at his own face, screaming in anguish.

"I told you," Jennifer said smugly.

Derek pinned Stiles' arms against his sides. "What did you do to him?"

"Me?" Jennifer asked innocently. "I didn't do this. You did this. You forced me to hurt him. You were falling for him. You were going to leave me. I couldn't let that happen. Don't you see, Derek? You saved me. We're meant to be."

He looked disgusted. "You're delusional."

"Am I? You killed page right here Derek. You brought magic back to the nemeton, which saved me right from beneath death's grip." She walked up to him, lightly kissing his lips. "Join me, we can destroy the Alpha pack and get our revenge."

Derek scoffed, pushing her away. "You think I would join you after everything you've done? You killed innocent people. You're just as bad as them," he spit out, feeling rage building up within him.

"You don't get it Derek. They tried to kill me." She was pulling the pity card now.

"So now you're doing the same to Stiles? What has he ever done to you?"

She laughed bitterly. "He was taking the best thing in my life from me. That was enough to convince me to kill him."

Derek shook his head. "You don't get it. Killing him won't change anything. I still won't love you, I'll hate you even more."

Jennifer shrugged. "I'm still going to kill him."

"Over my dead body," Derek answered, using his body to protect Stiles.

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "How cliché."

Derek didn't care. He'd die before letting any harm come to the pale, hyperactive boy who'd stolen his heart.


	9. Chapter 9

Derek didn't know how to save Stiles. This was all his fault and he couldn't even fix things. He was starting to feel hopeless when he heard something that gave him the strength to pull through and fight for his right to be happy alongside the man he loved.

"Hey sourwolf," Stiles said weakly before having a coughing fit.

Derek smiled at him, then turned back to face Jennifer. How could he defeat her if she was so powerful? _If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. _No, he would die before joining her. Maybe if he made her believe he was on her side, she would let her guard down long enough to kill her.

"I'm sorry, Jennifer," Derek started, making his face unreadable. "I was stupid for siding against you and choosing a human over you. Can we try this again? I really like you." He smiled at her, holding his hand out.

She looked suspicious. "A minute ago, you were throwing yourself over Stiles to save him. Now you suddenly want to be with me again. Why?"

Derek sighed. "I was just mad because you didn't tell me you were the Darach. I was so guarded and I let my walls down for you, even after the last love I'd had betrayed me and burned down my family. I felt betrayed again. I thought you were just using me."

Jennifer's expression was soft for a second, and she reached out to stroke Derek's cheek. "You and I are alike in so many ways, Derek. We were made for one another."

Even though the last thing Derek wanted to do was be near her, he leaned into her touch. He had to be convincing.

"You're right. We're soulmates. Let's go complete the sacrifices so we can destroy the Alpha pack," Derek suggested, kissing her hand.

Jennifer wasn't too convinced. She decided to test his love for her. "Okay, but first, prove your loyalty to me. Kill Stiles, right now."

Derek put his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. "Why should we bother with a pathetic human? He's weak and stupid. All he ever does is mess up the lives of those around him. He's no threat to us. He probably won't even make it past tonight. Let's leave him here to die." Derek looked at Stiles, the pained expression on Stiles' face breaking his heart. "In fact," he continued, his voice steady, "why don't we make him pay for getting in between us? Torture him. Make him hallucinate his mom until he takes his last breath."

"I like the way you think," Jennifer smiled, kissing Derek's lips passionately. He held her close, slowly moving his hands up to her hair, lightly tugging at it.

This was his chance. She was distracted. He was about to snap her neck when he suddenly felt an arrow pierce his heart. He knew this was it. He would be dead within a few minutes, and all hope would be lost for everyone in Beacon Hills.

"You bitch," Jennifer snarled, turning to face Allison.

Allison was standing alongside Scott, Isaac, Peter, Cora, and Lydia. She had a pleased look on her face.

Derek felt his knees give out from beneath him, and he fell against Jennifer, reaching for her hand. "I guess I won't be able to help you now," he said, laughing bitterly.

Jennifer looked torn. She kissed his forehead. "Of course you will. I won't let you die, Derek. I love you." With that, she pulled the arrow out and quickly put her hands over Derek's chest. She concentrated hard, and he could feel her healing him, pulling him back. He was going to be okay.

He looked Jennifer in the eyes and realized that she did indeed love him, even if her way of loving was crazy. He felt a pang of guilt for what he was about to do. He hugged her, much like he'd hugged Paige all those years ago. He knew he had to do this, but it wasn't easy, because as much as he hated to admit it, she'd taught him to love again, and thanks to her, he would be able to love Stiles Stilinski with all of his heart.

"I'm sorry," he whispered before taking his claws out to slice her throat. It was over quickly, even before Jennifer knew what hit her. Derek held her body for a long time, not daring to move. He couldn't believe it was over, just like that.

Stiles had somehow managed to crawl over to Derek, despite his bad state. He rested his head against Derek's back, not saying anything. Just like that, he knew that all the pain was worth it. He'd saved Stiles, and that's all that mattered to him.

"You're probably wondering how we knew to show up when we did and how we knew what to do," Allison started.

"Yeah," Derek replied.

They were all sitting in the waiting room, waiting for Stiles to be discharged. It was a few days later, and even though things had been calm, there was still a lot of explaining to do.

"It was actually Lydia and Peter who came up with the plan," Scott admitted sheepishly.

Derek raised an eyebrow. Lydia just shrugged, while Peter had a smug look on his face.

"Peter told us that if she healed someone from something really serious, her powers wouldn't work for a while. He called it 'running out of battery and having to wait until she was charged again', or something weird like that," Scott continued, stopping to drink water.

Isaac continued the story. "So then Lydia gets this crazy idea. She knew Ms. Blake was jealous of Stiles, so she must have feelings for you. She tells us that we need to kill you to get her to heal you."

"And that's where I came in," Allison explained. "We wouldn't be able to be that close, because she would know, so how could we kill you from far away? I suggested my handy dandy bow and arrows, and we went through with it. From there, you know the rest."

Derek nodded. He couldn't believe they'd all worked together just to save Stiles. He was lucky to have such great friends.

Everyone looked at Derek expectantly. He looked back quizzically. Why was everyone staring at him like that?

"Well?" Peter finally spoke up, a smirk on his face. "Aren't you going to tell us about you and Stiles?"

Derek felt himself blush. "What about us?"

Cora rolled her eyes. "We all know that you guys are madly in love, Derek. You don't have to act clueless anymore."

He glared at Cora, feeling even more embarrassed. "We haven't really had a chance to talk," he told them, feeling uncomfortable.

"Well, you'll have a chance soon enough," Scott said, looking pleased.

Derek growled in response, wanting nothing more than to disappear right about now.

"You know I didn't mean any of those things I said to Jennifer, right? I had to make it look convincing." Derek put his arms around Stiles' waist, resting his head against Stiles' back.

He heard Stiles sniffle. Oh no, he was horrible at comforting people. What should he do?

He pulled Stiles even closer, not letting go. "I did what I had to do to save you. I hope you can understand that I did what I did because I.. I really care about you." He almost said _I love you_, but he couldn't bring himself to say those words, not yet.

Stiles pulled away, pushing Derek and punching him until he was tired. "How dare you make me cry, Derek Hale? I'm already emotional enough with these stupid new pills without you saying sappy crap like this." Stiles looked like he wanted to punch Derek and kiss him at the same time. Instead, he wiped his tears away and sat in his bed.

"I'm just telling you the truth, Stiles," Derek explained, sitting next to him.

"Why would you care so much about me, though?" Stiles asked, his voice shaking. "I'm a horrible person."

Derek saw his lip trembling, and knew Stiles was on the verge of breaking down. He threw his arms around Stiles and pulled him close. Next thing he knew, Stiles had his face hidden in Derek's shirt, and he was crying hard, his whole body shaking.

"You're not a horrible person. Whatever you did in the past is in the past. You can't carry this guilt forever," he rested his head against Stiles', letting him cry his heart out.

After what felt like an eternity, Stiles seemed all cried out. The only sound was the occasional sniffle. Derek's shirt was drenched with tears, but he didn't care. He was just glad that he had an excuse to be this close to Stiles.

"I killed my mom," Stiles said, his voice low.

Derek didn't say anything, just grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"She had a brain tumor. They diagnosed her too late. She only made it three months. Towards the end, she was a different person. She was always angry. Sometimes though, she was my mom again. She would stroke my cheek and tell me that she loved me, but it didn't last long. Maybe a few minutes before she was back to this monster the cancer had turned her into."

His eyes filled up with tears, but he didn't stop. "One day, I spilled juice or something, I don't remember, but she got so mad that she hit me, over and over again with a spatula. I didn't have the heart to tell my dad it was her, and she didn't remember it, so I lied. I told him that a bully had stolen my lunch money and beaten me up. That was when I realized she wasn't my mom anymore." His voice broke, and he let out a sob. He was determined to finish the story, so he did, even though his voice was unsteady.

"She would've only made it two months, but my dad had her hospitalized, and all those kept her with us one more month, but not really, because she was mostly always sleeping. It's sad, but I liked her better that way, because even though she wasn't the mom I knew anymore, she still looked the same, and even if it was only for a little bit, I could pretend my mom was back."

He took one shuddering breath, resting his head against Derek's chest. "One night, my dad was working late, and I was alone with my mom. I hated being alone with her, but I did it because my dad said I was the man when he wasn't around, and I should take care of my mom. She was asleep, so at least I could sit next to her and just talk and pretend she was still herself. I guess my talking woke her up because she woke up and reached for my hand. 'Hi Stily,' she said. She only called me that before the cancer, so I was ecstatic. My mom was back. I was so happy that I hugged her and started telling her how much I missed her, how bad she scared me sometimes. The bruises from her attack were still healing, so she grabbed my face and asked me what they were, who'd done this to me. Without thinking, I told her the truth. Her face crumpled, and I knew her heart shattered right at that instant." Stiles was crying again his voice cracking ever so often. Derek held him protectively, wishing he could take all this pain away from Stiles.

"She knew she had a little bit of time left. She also knew that the cancer would only get worse. Maybe that's why she did what she did next. 'Listen to me baby,' she said to me. 'I love you with all my heart, you know that, right? Daddy lovs you too, we both do, and always will. What I did, it wasn't me, not really. It was the cancer, sweetheart. It's turning me into someone I'm not. I don't want to exist if that's all that's going to be left of me. I need you to do something for me, okay Stily? We don't have much time…' and I did what she asked. I didn't want to, but I couldn't say no to my mom. Not when her eyes were pleading, not when that was her dying wish. I killed her, Derek. I injected air into her vein, and she was dead. No one ever found out."

He collapsed against Derek, crying silently. "I told you I was a monster," he whispered, hiding his face in his hands.

"Stiles," Derek said softly. "Look up."

Without a thought, Stiles obliged, and was shocked to see his dad standing in the doorway, his mouth open wide in shock. Stiles started trembling, afraid of what his father might do now that he knew the truth.

The Sheriff took a few unsteady steps towards Stiles. Stiles flinched but didn't look away.

"Stiles," the Sherriff uttered, his voice rough. "Come here." He opened his arms wide.

Stiles launched himself into his dad's arms, feeling like they were back at the hospital and his dad had just found out his mom was dead. "I'm sorry Daddy. I'm so sorry for killing her. I'm sorry for not telling you. It's okay if you hate me now." His voice was choked, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"How could you think that I would ever hate you? You just did what Mom wanted you to do. You're not to blame for any of this, and it kills me that you've carried this guilt for so long. It's okay, son. Nothing's going to change between us." John held Stiles tightly against him, scared to let go of his son.

They stayed like that for so long that Stiles ended up crying himself to sleep, his head against his dad's shoulder, just like when he was a baby.

"You're still my baby," the Sheriff whispered, planting a kiss on Stiles' forehead before laying his head down on his bed and tucking him in. He knew that Stiles still had a long way to go before he would be able to forgive himself, but he was glad to know that they'd taken the first step towards recovery.

He looked up and noticed that Derek was gone. When had that happened? He didn't know, but he was willing to bet that Derek would appear later and stay all night to watch over Stiles.


	10. Chapter 10

**6 MONTHS LATER**

"So how are things between you and Derek?" Lydia asked, painting her nails.

Stiles blushed. This was all new to him. "They're good. Today is our six month anniversary."

Lydia smiled, looking up. "That's nice. Are you guys taking things slow or have you, you know, fucked?"

Stiles felt his cheeks turn a bright shade of red. "We uh, we're taking it slow, going on dates and stuff. We don't want to rush anything, not when we were both so hesitant when it came to our feelings towards one another."

Lydia blew on her nails, her voice teasing. "I thought you were desperate to lose your virginity."

Stiles started coughing, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Yeah, when that psycho was sacrificing virgins. Now I'm just happy to be getting to know Derek, plus my therapist suggested I take it slow. She said I was vulnerable and shouldn't even be in a relationship right now."

Lydia shifted her attention to Stiles, grabbing his hands in hers. "I think you guys are good for each other. It's obvious that you love each other, and you'll do anything for each other. What better way to heal emotionally than to have someone who loves you unconditionally by your side?"

Stiles knew he was still blushing, and Lydia's words made him emotional. His lips formed a frown and started shaking slightly. "Aw, Lydia. That was so sweet."

She smiled. "He's lucky to have you, Stiles. Now go get ready for your date tonight. What are you going to wear?"

He gestured towards a button down shirt and jeans.

"Do you at least have a tie?" Lydia asked, opening the drawer closest to her and looking through it.

"Not there," Stiles said quickly, reaching to close the drawer, but it was too late.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Lydia grinned, holding up a box of condoms.

"Those are, uh, just in case we, I just thought it would be smart to, it's not like I'm planning to, just give me those," he demanded, pulling the box from her hands.

She looked amused. "Don't forget to take some in your wallet tonight."

"I know. I'm not stupid," he muttered.

She smiled proudly. "I've taught you well."

Stiles scoffed, shaking his head. It was crazy to think that he once had a huge crush on Lydia. Now she was more of an annoying sister he loved dearly.

"Hurry up and get dressed so I can see how you'll look in those clothes!"

"Do you think I should buy him roses and chocolates?" Derek asked Cora, slight panic in his voice.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Derek, that's only romantic in movies. It's just so cliché."

"What should I do then? It's our three month anniversary today," Derek's voice rose an octave.

Cora shrugged. "Just because I'm a girl you think I automatically know this stuff? How should I know? I've never had a boyfriend."

Derek groaned in frustration. He couldn't believe he was going to do this. He was going to ask Scott for relationship advice.

"You look great. What would you do without me?" Lydia looked extremely proud. "Now if only we could do something about your hair…"

"Hey! What's wrong with my hair?" Stiles frowned, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He hated to toot his own horn but he looked great. He was wearing a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a grey bow tie. He smiled at his reflection, hoping Derek liked how he looked as much as he did.

Just then, the Sheriff walked in. He whistled. "Wow, son. You look handsome tonight."

Stiles blushed. "Thanks, Dad."

"As soon as Derek shows up, I'm taking pictures," Lydia announced.

Stiles rolled his eyes. "This isn't prom, Lydia."

"I don't care. I worked hard on your outfit and I'll be damned if I don't get pictures to show off my skills." She reached for his hands. "We still have time for a manicure…"

"No!" Stiles said, snatching his hands away. "Those things hurt."

"Wimp," Lydia mumbled. "Whatever, your loss," she shrugged, walking towards the kitchen.

Stiles was relieved for the few minutes of silence. He was extremely nervous and took the time to talk to his mom.

"Hi mom," he said, pulling out a picture he had in his wallet. "Today is my three month anniversary with Derek. I know it isn't a big deal, but it feels nice, you know? We're making it, even though the odds seem against us. I'm happy now, and it's strange to feel this good. I miss you so much. I love you." He kissed the picture before tucking it into his wallet. He felt ready.

Then the doorbell rang and he felt the blood drain from his face. Ready or not, Derek was here, and it was time to go.

Derek smiled when he saw Stiles. "You look great," he said, inspecting him from head to toe. "Lydia?" he mouthed, his eyebrow raised.

Stiles blushed and nodded.

"Speak of the devil," Derek muttered as Lydia walked up to them.

Lydia ignored him. "Picture time!" she said excitedly.

Derek and Stiles both rolled their eyes.

After what felt like a million pictures, Lydia finally let Stiles and Derek leave. The Sheriff was also on his way out, so he walked them to Derek's car.

"Take care of my boy," he commanded, patting Derek in the back and giving Stiles a hug.

"Yes sir," Derek said confidently.

The Sherriff smiled at them and walked away. They finally got time alone.

"I uh, got you a gift," Stiles said, not looking Derek in the eyes.

"I got you something too," Derek smiled, pulling out a small package from the back of his car.

Stiles pulled out a small box from his pant pocket, his hand shaking slightly. He suddenly felt unsure.

"Hey, it's okay," Derek said softly, noticing the distress. "Whatever it is, I'll love it."

Stiles handed the small box over hesitantly, avoiding looking at Derek. He suddenly felt like this was a bad idea and all he wanted to do was run away and play video games until he fell asleep.

Derek opened the box, gasping softly in surprise. In it was two halves of a heart, both attached to silver chains. Half of the heart said sour and the other half said wolf. It was beautiful. Derek was speechless.

"I thought it was a good idea," Stiles mumbled, shifting around. "Plus it would be funny because you would wear the half that says wolf and you're a werewolf…" he trailed off, looking out the window.

"Stiles, it's perfect," Derek finally said, a big smile on his face. "Help me put it on, yeah?"

Stiles was surprised that Derek was so eager to wear it, but he complied, putting the chain around Derek's neck and clasping it shut. He felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw how it looked on Derek.

"Perfect," whispered Derek at his reflection in the mirror. "You want me to help you put yours on?"

Stiles nodded and Derek helped him. It was strange having something to unite them. It was even stranger to look into the face of Derek Hale and see nothing but pure love and admiration. Yeah, Stiles had definitely given his heart to the right person.

"Can I open your gift now?" Stiles asked, a hint of a whine in his voice.

Derek looked amused. "Not yet. Wait until we get there."

Stiles crossed his arms over his chest.

"Now who's being a sourwolf?" Derek teased.

"Keep this up and you won't get some anytime soon," Stiles mumbled.

Derek suddenly got all serious, sitting up straight. "We're almost there."

The curiosity was killing Stiles. Where could they be headed? What was in the box? He didn't have to wait long, because next thing he knew, he was being ushered out of the car.

"Now you can open it," Derek said, standing behind Stiles and hugging him by the waist. He rested his head against Stiles' shoulder, reading the note over his shoulder.

_Dear Stiles,_

_ I debated whether or not to go to Scott for help, but at the end, I decided against it. I felt like this should just be between us. I really hope you like what I have planned for the evening. I know it's not much, but I'm as new to the dating thing as you are._

_ -Derek_

Stiles carefully put the note back in the box and pulled out something that was heavily wrapped. He wondered what it was. He pulled away at many layers of wrapping paper until he got to the bottom of it. There was a smaller box, and once he opened that, he saw a key. He was confused.

Derek rubbed his face against Stiles' neck. "Let me explain," he started, slowly turning Stiles to face him. "You have a key, and I have one. No one else does, and they don't know about this. I bought this house, for us."

He must have seen the overwhelmed expression in Stiles' face because he elaborated. "I'm not rushing us into anything. I just know that sometimes we both need to get away from everything, and I bought this house for that purpose. You can come without me, or we can come together, however you want it to be. I just thought it was nice to have a sort of –escape- for when things get to be too much in Beacon Hills."

Stiles looked around, finally noticing where they were. It was a beach house. How did Derek know that he loved the beach? It was his favorite place in the world. Stiles cleared his throat before responding. "Thank you, he murmured, wrapping his arms around Derek. "This is perfect."

Derek was glad Stiles liked it. There was still more, and he hoped Stiles liked that too.

"You made me dinner? Aw," Stiles looked like he was getting emotional. "You did so much and I only gave you a dumb necklace."

"It's a very beautiful necklace. It's not a competition, Stiles," Derek kissed Stiles' head before serving him pasta with garlic bread on the side.

"I didn't know you were Italian," Stiles said, looking dumbfounded.

"I'm not," Derek said, chuckling. "I just watch a lot of cooking shows on my spare time."

"Oh," Stiles said before digging in.

Derek watched Stiles eat, wanting to remember this moment forever. He noticed the tiny piece of pasta on the bottom left corner of Stiles' lip, the way Stiles moved his lips to suck the pasta up. He noticed how brown Stiles' eyes were, how his eyelashes seemed longer and longer each time he saw Stiles. He was mesmerized and absolutely in love with Stiles Stilinski, he realized that now.

After dinner, they watched a movie. "What movie should we watch?" Stiles asked, looking through a box of DVDs.

"I was thinking we should watch Star Wars. I know how much you love it, and like Scott, I've never seen it. I'd like to watch it with you," Derek stated, pulling out Star Wars from the box.

"Cool!" Stiles was excited to watch this movie again, even though he'd watched it like a million times already.

Halfway through the movie, Stiles fell asleep. Derek was so into it that he didn't notice at first, not until he felt something wet on his chest. Stiles was drooling, his mouth wide open.

Turning down the volume of the movie, Derek noticed that Stiles was snoring softly. He chuckled. Stiles was too cute sometimes.

He yawned. He supposed he could watch the rest of the movie tomorrow. He turned everything off and carried Stiles to bed. It was strange to sleep in the same bed, even though they'd been going out for half a year. He usually slept in the same room, but never in the same bed.

_"I guess there's a first time for everything," Derek thought, falling asleep with his arms wrapped around the sarcastic prick he loved so dearly._


	11. Chapter 11

Stiles woke up sore. He cracked his neck and stretched out, accidentally hitting Derek. _Derek?!_

"Holy shit!" Stiles exclaimed, accidentally falling to the floor with a loud thud.

Derek jumped up instantly. "Stiles? You ok?"

Stiles grumbled in response, rubbing his head. He climbed back onto the bed and lied down with his head on Derek's chest.

"Derek?" He asked timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Did we… um… am I still a virgin?" Stiles stammered, blushing furiously.

Derek turned to look Stiles in the eyes. "Yes. I wouldn't take advantage of you while you were asleep. Our first time will be special."

Stiles sighed in relief. "I'm sorry. I woke up sore and assumed the worst."

Derek didn't respond. Instead, he cupped Stiles' cheeks and gently kissed his lips. "I hope we get many more good morning kisses."

Stiles kissed Derek passionately, the corners of his lips tilting up. He was really into the whole kissing thing. Why hadn't he done this sooner?

It started out as kissing but by the end of the day, Stiles was no longer a virgin. It was one of the happiest moments of his life, not because he'd lost his virginity, because of _who _he lost his virginity to.

Now he understood why some people called it making love, That's exactly what it was. Sure, lust played a part in it, but when it came down to it, he was madly in love with Derek Hale, and that was what made his first time so special.

For such a big guy, Derek was gentle. He took things slow, and made sure Stiles was comfortable with everything. It was perfect. He felt as if they were perfect. The way their bodies seemed to fit so perfectly together. That connection they'd had since the first time they'd spoken. Stiles truly believed they were meant to be, and knew this was the guy he wanted to grow old with.

**2 YEARS LATER**

"Dude, relax, you're making me nervous!" Scott rested a hand on Stiles' shoulder.

"Sorry, I took a lot of Adderall today," Stiles admitted, staring at his reflection in the mirror. "Is my tie crooked?"

Sheriff Stilinski wandered in. "Five minutes guys. Are you ready?"

Stiles paled, biting his lip. "Is it too late to cancel the wedding?"

John smiled. "Your mother said the same thing right before our wedding. You're just nervous. Come here, let me fix your tie."

Stiles obliged, his hands shaky. He wanted this, he wanted Derek to be his husband, but now that they were actually going through with it, he was extremely nervous.

"Don't worry Stiles, he's just as nervous as you are," John reassured, patting Stiles' back.

Stiles sighed softly. He could do this. He only wished his mom was here.

"You think Mom would approve?" Stiles asked softly, looking into his father's eyes.

"Absolutely. She would be so proud of you, son. She always was." John smiled. "We both are. Now go out there and marry him before he changes his mind," he joked.

"Not funny," Stiles muttered.

The wedding ceremony was small. Only the remaining Hales, the Sheriff, the McCalls, and Argents, and the pack members attended, plus Danny and Jackson, and that was just how they wanted it.

Derek finally learned Stiles' true name. He was intrigued. "Genim? It kind of reminds me of gremlin. That's what I'm calling you from now on, my gremlin."

Stiles punched him, although he was secretly pleased that Derek had finally given him a nickname. "Now you understand why I'd rather be Stiles."

"Not like you have any style," Jackson cut in, shoving a piece of cake into his mouth.

"Hey, shut it or I will inject wolfsbane into your perky nipples," Stiles threatened.

Derek raised an eyebrow and spoke with a hint of jealousy in his voice. "How do you know his nipples are perky?"

"He strutted around in the locker room with little to no clothes on for two years." He rolled his eyes.

"Can't blame me for it. I'm hot," Jackson explained before walking off to talk to Danny.

"I swear, he and your uncle are made for each other," Stiles scoffed.

"They're both narcissistic assholes. I agree." Derek chuckled.

Stiles smiled. He leaned in to kiss Derek. "Today will definitely go down as one of the best days of my life, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life by your side and have a lot of little babies."

Derek looked pleased. "Thank you for bringing hope back into my life. You saved me, gremlin."

They walked back, hand in hand, towards their family, because that's what they were now. Everyone was their family; they were all united by the supernatural and would forever have that connection to one another.

**10 YEARS LATER**

"These are our last babies, right?" Derek asked, holding little Talia in his arms.

"Yeah, our last little munchkins," Stiles agreed, Claudia in his arms. He looked out the window and watched as his two boys rode their horses around the ranch. His babies were getting so big now.

"We must be crazy. Six kids AND a ranch," Stiles smiled to himself. "I wouldn't trade it for the world, though. Would you?"

Derek shook his head, happiness radiating from him. "I love our life here, I love our kids, and most importantly, I love you, gremlin."

Stiles leaned in to kiss him, making sure not to wake Claudia. They'd adopted twin girls exactly 3 months ago. They were now 5 months old, both named after their deceased mothers.

They had four other kids. They'd first adopted a newborn baby boy 9 years ago, who they named Caleb Vernon, his middle name after Boyd. After Caleb came their little devil, Micah, who was adopted two years later. Then they finally got their hands on a little girl, Laura Paige. Stiles agreed to let Derek name her, on the condition that he would name their next baby. He did, and they welcomed Johnny into their family just four years ago. They were unsure about adopting any more babies, but couldn't resist these beautiful twin girls, They felt that their family was finally complete.

It was nice, living in the countryside. The supernatural phenomena was scarce, and their lives were peaceful for the most part. The kids had normal lives and two loving parents. It was perfect.

**5 YEARS LATER**

"They're all growing up so fast, " Stiles complained.

Just then, Claudia came running up to Stiles, her face red and puffy. "Daddy, Talia hit me," she said, her lower lip quivering.

"Talia Erica Hale, you get your butt here right now," Derek ordered, his voice firm.

Talia appeared, slowly approaching Derek. She looked upset. "She started it. She pulled my hair because I wasn't letting her pet my pony," she explained.

Derek turned to Claudia, who avoided looking at him. "Claudia Heather Hale, look at me." She did. "Did you do that?" She nodded.

Derek sighed. "You guys are both in trouble for putting your hands on each other. No fighting, remember? Five minutes in the corner each, and if you guys don't obey, no going outside for a week."

The girls grumbled but nodded and went to their designated areas. Stiles looked relieved. He hated disciplining the kids, and was glad Derek was willing to do it.

"Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you," Stiles muttered, hugging Derek from behind.

Derek leaned into Stiles' touch. "I think you would have gotten murdered by now," he insinuated. "But since I'm here to protect your '143 pounds of pale skin and fragile bones', you'll live a very long, fulfilling life."

Stiles smirked. "I can't believe you remember so many stupid things that I said all those years ago. You never cease to amaze me, Derek Hale."

"And I never will," Derek promised, smiling.

**50 YEARS LATER**

"When you wolf out now, you look saggy," Stiles joked while eating Jell-O.

"Well at least I still have teeth," Derek teased, smiling big to show of his teeth.

"Yeah well at least I'm still smarter."

Derek had no comeback, so he ate his food in silence.

"I love you gremlin," he said after a while, looking into those same soft brown eyes he'd always known. Everything else was different. Stiles had hardly any hair left, and the hair he did have was whiter than his skin. His face was wrinkled, but if he looked closely, he could still see the young boy Stiles once was.

"I love you too sourwolf," Stiles responded, smiling at him.

They were both old, and knew their time was near. They weren't afraid of dying, they were afraid of not dying together. Every day alive was one day closer to death, but also one extra day they got with each other. Even after being married 67 years, they still cherished every moment together.

They'd always bickered like an old married couple, but their fights were more of a pastime than anything else. They both knew how much they truly meant to each other, and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

That night, something felt different. Everything was too calm, too quiet. They'd lived in the same house for over 67 years, and it had never gotten this silent. For a moment, Stiles couldn't hear Derek breathe, and he began to panic.

"Sourwolf, don't die on me," He begged, slapping Derek's face.

"I'm not dead, you idiot," Derek scolded, his face softening when he saw the look on Stiles' face. "I'm sorry, gremlin. I was just trying to listen for any sound, but it's absolutely dead out there."

Stiles sighed softly, nodding. "Something feels strange tonight. Like tonight is the night. I'm ready to die, sourwolf."

"I am too," Derek said, holding Stiles close.

This would be the best way to go, wrapped in each other's arms, and that was exactly how they died, intertwined like an intricate puzzle, their lips united, like they had been and always would be.

Their gravestones were as follows:

Derek Hale Genim "Stiles" Stilinski

World's Best Parents, Lovers, Friends

Forever missed but never forgotten


End file.
